NRI artistes treat it as a pride to perform during Margazhi

Carnatic music has a strong global presence and many NRIs perform and tour abroad. Yet these musicians make it a point to visit Chennai every Margazhi month to perform and attend kutcheris. The reason for this, they say, is three-fold — networking, learning, and the joy of performing.

According to Arjun Ramachandran, a mridangam player based out of Chicago, the main hub for Carnatic music in the USA are in Cleveland, Detroit, Michigan, and Indiana. Chicago is also well-known for the Chicago Thiyagaraja Utsavam, an annual Carnatic music festival.

“People who want to go professional can do so in those cities, as there are a larger audience and more demand for shows. Here in Chicago, depending on the number of performances, you are paid well enough to take it up full-time, and may have to supplement yourself by teaching,” said the 19-year-old.

According to Emanuelle Martin, a France-based Carnatic vocalist and student of TM Krishna, the number of opportunities to hold a full-length kutcheri are less in France. However, Martin explained that this gap can be filled by touring with other artistes. “Touring does make a lot of good money. I tour to cities across India and USA and perform with other Carnatic musicians, and it is a wonderful opportunity to hone one’s skills with other discerning musicians,” said the 34-year-old.

Comparatively, Chennai does not hold many financial perks compared to working abroad, they said. Well-paid stage opportunities and financial gain from performing with established senior artistes on tour amount to more than what they would have earned performing in Chennai, they said. Yet despite all this, performing in Chennai during Margazhi is paramount.

Calling it a ‘two-way street’, Ramachandran explained that performance quality in one area affects economic opportunity in the other. “The main hub for Carnatic music remains in Chennai. Your credentials from India – like awards and competitions – hold more weight in the US. Performing well in kutcheris in Chennai also means that senior musicians and concert organisers will take notice of you and might recommend you for their concert in the US. It is the best time to leave a good impression,” he said.

Networking with other musicians also opens up the scope for collaborations and future performance opportunities, he added. “We bounce ideas with each other at canteens and have jam session with each other. It helps getting your name out there,” said Ramachandran.

For some performers, such as Melbourne-based Bhairavi Raman, coming down to the city during Margazhi is an educational experience. “For four weeks, my entire life becomes all about Carnatic music. I do three things – listen, learn, and perform. Listening to other musicians is incredibly educational as I learn their techniques and the developments in the music. As my guru, S Varadarajan, lives in Chennai, I come down to the city for regular classes to improve my performances,” she said. Ramachandran added that the various seminars hosted by the Music Academy are also a big learning point and assist his performances.

Audiences in the city expect a certain level of finesse in performances, and musicians in the city are constantly collaborating and pushing the envelope to improve. “As an artiste, performing in Chennai gives me the creative space to give my best performance always. The performers here are constantly adapting and growing, and it motivates me to try to perform more complex pieces,” said Martin.

Chennai also does not face the issue of market saturation, due to the high demand and supply, when compared to Chicago, said Ramachandran. “While there are many who take up Carnatic music in Chicago, only 10 to 15% of them continue onto the performance level. This is mainly due to the lack of consistent opportunities available in certain pockets of the US. Now, many organisations are hosting youth festivals like iCarnatic, to give younger musicians a platform to improve their talent,” he said.

Raman explained that the Carnatic music scene in Australia is not as robust as Chennai or the Us due to smaller audiences and failure to integrate Carnatic music into the mainstream. “A violinist like me might get three to four opportunities a month because there is a great demand for violinists in Australia. However, a vocalist might get two opportunities to perform in a year, and that’s if they are lucky. To combat this, I run a not-for-profit called Gamaka, to give a platform for classical talent, specifically for youngsters, who need the exposure the most,” she said.